Salt and pepper recipes are among the most popular dishes in Chinese cuisine. From salt and pepper potatoes to salt and pepper tofu, there are countless ways to use the ever-famous Chinese salt and pepper seasoning.
If you love salt and pepper dishes, I recommend making your own with my homemade restaurant-style salt and pepper squid recipe.
With my recipe, you’ll enjoy coated squid that is crunchy, flavorful, and tender. It’s the perfect appetizer or side dish, best served with rice or on its own.
What Is Salt And Pepper Squid?
Salt and pepper squid is similar to my other salt and pepper recipes, such as Salt And Pepper Chicken Wings, Salt And Pepper Shrimp, and Salt And Pepper Fish. In my recipe, you’ll be mixing the squid with a delicious batter made with salt, black pepper powder, sesame oil, yolk, and cornstarch. The sauce with cornstarch gives the squid its crunchy texture.
After combining the squid with the batter, it is then fried in oil until golden brown and stir-fried with garlic, green onions, and chili. Lastly, and perhaps the most vital part, the fried squid is sprinkled with the flavorsome salt and pepper seasoning. This special seasoning is made with Sichuan peppercorn, fennel seed, shrimp skin, white sesame, salt, Chinese Five Spice Powder, and paprika.
The salt and pepper seasoning creates a flavor explosion in the fried squid, making it sweet, salty, savory, warm, and earthy. In my opinion, this unique seasoning is what differentiates the dish from others. So, I highly recommend making this seasoning with my recipe or buying one from a local Asian grocery store.
Tips And Substitutes For Salt And Pepper Squid
There are several substitutes that you can use to create your own version of this recipe. Some ingredients may not be available to you, so I have written down some excellent alternatives that can still give you the best results and flavors. Check out some cooking tips and suggestions below before starting with the recipe instructions.
- Squid: Both fresh and frozen squid work well for this recipe. It’s generally up to you if you like to use the mantle or the whole squid with tentacles. Moreover, you can use either medium or large squid. As for the type of cut, I used the mantle or the head and cut it open into a flat piece. You can also cut it into rings if you like calamari-style.
- Batter: The squid is mixed with a batter of salt, black pepper powder, sesame oil, egg yolk, and cornstarch. If you prefer it without the egg yolk, it’s perfectly fine to omit it since the egg only acts as a binder and adds that eggy taste. Adding black pepper powder to the squid gives it a spicy and woody taste. There are a few alternatives to black pepper, including green peppercorns, Sichuan peppercorns, white pepper powder, and pink peppercorns. However, you need to adjust to taste as each type of pepper will have different tastes and heat levels. Lastly, the sesame oil adds a nutty and earthy taste to the sauce, but you can use olive oil, peanut oil, or avocado oil as an alternative.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is needed to give the squid its crunchy texture and extra coating. You can use tapioca flour or potato starch as an alternative to cornstarch. For 1 tbsp of cornstarch, substitute it with 2 tbsp of tapioca flour or 1 tbsp of potato starch. Aside from starch, you can substitute cornstarch with all-purpose flour or rice flour.
- Minced Garlic: After frying the squid, it is sautéed with garlic to get a nutty and garlicky taste. 1 garlic clove can be substituted with 1/8 tsp of garlic powder or 1/4 tsp of garlic granules.
- Green Onion: Green onions add a bit of sweetness and color to the squid. Generally, you can use scallion, spring onions, shallots, or chives as alternatives. You can also use red, white, or yellow onions instead of green onions.
- Chili Peppers: Chili peppers are also part of the stir-frying step to add extra heat. If you do not like spicy flavors, it is best to leave this out. You can use green or red chili peppers. If you don’t have whole chili peppers, you can substitute 1 whole chili pepper with 1/4 tsp chili flakes.
- Cooking Oil: It is best to deep-fry the squid to have a consistent golden brown color and to cook all sides evenly. I recommend using oils with high smoke points to reduce oxidation and sustain high temperatures for a long time, such as sesame, avocado, sunflower, canola, and peanut oil. However, shallow frying and air frying are also excellent ways to cook the squid. The only difference is the amount of oil and that you’ll have to turn the squid from each side to make sure all sides are cooked evenly.
- Salt And Pepper Seasoning: The unique taste of salt and pepper seasoning is pretty hard to find in other spices. So, I highly suggest making your own salt and pepper seasoning or buying it at your local Asian grocery store. However, if you don’t have salt and pepper seasoning, you can mix salt and Chinese five-spice powder OR salt and Sichuan pepper (adjust to taste). This can give you a distinct taste but not the same as salt and pepper seasoning.
- Deep Frying: It’s important to deep-fry the squid in hot oil of about 302°F to 375°F to make the squid crispy. If the oil is not hot enough, the coated squid will only absorb the oil and become soggy. You should also not overfry the squid or else the texture will become firm and rubbery to bite. Moreover, do not overcrowd the pan to ensure even cooking and avoid the squid from sticking to one other.
How To Store And Reheat Salt And Pepper Squid
Battered dishes like fried squid are best eaten when freshly cooked since it is the time with the crispiest texture. Once the battered squid is stored in the fridge, it moistens and becomes mushy. However, there are ways to bring back its crispiness, using an oven, air fryer, and skillet.
- Oven or air fryer: Reheat the squid for 5 to 10 minutes at 350°F to 400°F. Do not overcrowd the oven or air fryer to ensure even heating. Check if the squid is hot and crispy after 5 minutes. If not, add a few more minutes to reheat,
- Skillet: Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan and reheat the squid when the oil is hot. You can also simply toast it without oil in the pan to reheat.
When storing the squid in the fridge, keep it in an airtight container and consume it within three days after cooking. It is important the container is covered and sealed with a lid to maintain its freshness and avoid odors from other foods in the fridge from being absorbed.
Kitchenware And Ingredients To Make Salt And Pepper Squid
If you’re going to deep-fry the squid, use a shallow pot or wok. You can also use a wok if you have one. I also recommend a strainer to drain excess oil from the squid to prevent it from going soggy. Here’s a list of everything you need to cook this recipe.
Kitchenware
- Deep frying pan or wok
- Spatula or tongs
- Strainer spatula
- Knife and chopping board
Ingredients
- 7000g squid
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 egg yolk
- Oil (enough for deep-frying the squid)
- 20g garlic, green onions, chili peppers
- 10g or more of salt and pepper seasoning
- Additional green onions for toppings
Steps To Make Salt And Pepper Squid
Watch my 30-second tutorial video on my Instagram and Tiktok to learn how I cooked salt and pepper squid. In a nutshell, the recipe calls for cutting and coating the squid with the wet batter, deep-frying, and then seasoning with garlic, green onions, chili peppers, and salt and pepper seasoning.
It’s quick and easy but may take time when slicing the squid halfway through in a criss-cross or diamond pattern. However, this step is optional since it is generally for presentation purposes only.
Clean And Cut The Squid
If you have a whole squid, clean the squid by separating the mantle from the rest of the body.
Cut the center of the mantle lengthwise to open. Clean and remove the remains on the inside of the mantle under running water.
If you like to cook the tentacles as well, pull the brain out and cut the upper portion of the base. Rinse and clean under running water.
Take the mantle and slice it halfway through at a 45-degree angle. Score the flesh in a criss-cross or diamond pattern.
Then, cut the mantle into portions.
Prepare The Batter
In a bowl, put the sliced squid and add ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper powder, ½ tsp sesame oil, and 1 egg yolk.
Mix the batter well. Then, add 20g cornstarch. Massage the batter onto the squid until it is evenly distributed.
Fry The Coated Squid
Heat a wok with enough oil for deep frying. When the oil is hot at about 150°C (302°F), fry the squid on low heat until golden brown and crispy.
Remove the squid and drain the excess oil with a strainer.
In the same wok or another wok for stir-frying, add a small amount of oil to sautée the minced garlic, green onions, and chili peppers until fragrant.
Then, add the fried squid to the wok and stir well with the seasonings. Lastly, sprinkle salt and pepper seasoning and top with more green onions. Stir the ingredients well and serve while hot and fresh.
Restaurant-Style Salt And Pepper Squid
Equipment
- Deep frying pan or wok
- Spatula or tongs
- Strainer spatula
- Knife and chopping board
Ingredients
- 7000 g squid
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 egg yolk
- Oil enough for deep-frying the squid
- 20 g garlic green onions, chili peppers
- 10 g or more of salt and pepper seasoning
- Additional green onions for toppings
Instructions
Clean And Cut The Squid
- If you have a whole squid, clean the squid by separating the mantle from the rest of the body.
- Cut the center of the mantle lengthwise to open.
- Clean and remove the remains on the inside of the mantle under running water.
- If you like to cook the tentacles as well, pull the brain out and cut the upper portion of the base. Rinse and clean under running water.
- Take the mantle and slice it halfway through at a 45-degree angle. Score the flesh in a criss-cross or diamond pattern.
- Then, cut the mantle into portions.
Prepare The Batter
- In a bowl, put the sliced squid and add ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper powder, ½ tsp sesame oil, and 1 egg yolk.
- Mix the batter well.
- Then, add 20g cornstarch.
- Massage the batter onto the squid until it is evenly distributed.
Fry The Coated Squid
- Heat a wok with enough oil for deep frying.
- When the oil is hot at about 150°C (302°F), fry the squid on low heat until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove the squid and drain the excess oil with a strainer.
- In the same wok or another wok for stir-frying, add a small amount of oil to sautée the minced garlic, green onions, and chili peppers until fragrant.
- Then, add the fried squid to the wok and stir well with the seasonings.
- Lastly, sprinkle salt and pepper seasoning and top with more green onions.
- Stir the ingredients well and serve while hot and fresh.
